Tourism and Attitude of Host
Community in Peripheral Region- A Case Study of Ladakh
Priyanka
Singh and A. K. Singh*
Department of History of Art and Tourism Management,
Faculty of Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
Abstract
Host
community is an integral part of tourism system at the destination and thereby
constitutes an important segment of overall tourist experience. Hence, it is
important to understand the attitude of host community towards tourism and
their willingness to establish and develop tourism industry. The research was
conducted in Ladakh, which is located on the north-eastern periphery of Jammu
& Kashmir state of India. Recently there has been a significant growth in tourism
in Ladakh. This paper is intended to explore
how residents of Ladakh consider tourism as affecting their community, and in
that way providing a framework for research to investigate attitude of
residents toward tourism in Ladakh and the factors which are influencing it.
The overall result indicates that the respondents were aware of both the
positive and certain negative effects of tourism, and majority of the host
population were relatively optimistic about tourism growth and development
proposals that imply an increasing number of tourists.
Keywords:
Resident’s attitude, Host community, Ladakh, Ethnic, LAHDC
Introduction:
Ladakh,
known as the ‘land of high passes’ is
a northernmost region of Jammu & Kashmir state of India. Encircled by the
Karakoram in the north and the Great Himalayas in the south, the region is a
high altitude ‘cold desert’. The altitude varies from one place to another, ranges
from 9,000 ft (2,750 m) to 25,170 ft. (7672m). Ladakh is one of the upcoming
tourist destinations of India. The region is renowned for its remote
mountainous beauty and distinct landscape. Tourism is growing with a rapid pace
in the region and gradually becoming one of the major supports for local
economy. However, Tourism did not exist in Ladakh until 1976 when this region was
reopened for tourists after a long period of cessation. The prime attractions
of Ladakh are its pristine surrounding, ethnic community and distinguish social
and religious creed. It is also a popular destination for adventure seekers.
The data of last five years of tourist arrival in Ladakh indicates the
substantial growth of tourism in the region. Now the foremost concern is that
how the local community of Ladakh is responding to this growth in tourism. What
is the attitude of host community of this peripheral region towards tourist and
tourism and what their expectations are from this industry. From tourism perspective,
very little and limited research work is done on Ladakh, as it is very recently
that tourism has established as a major industry in the region. Initially a
growing tourism brings several economic benefits to the local community but
gradually it may cause hardship for them (Cohen 1984: 384-85). By evaluating these benefits and costs, local
residents develop their attitudes towards tourism. It is also opined that the
attitude of host community is directly associated with the stages of
development. Significantly there is the possibility that attitude is linked to
behavior as well as the stages of tourism development. A positive attitude and
harmonious behavior of host community towards tourism can contribute in
enhancing the satisfaction level of an overall tour experience of the tourist. The
study reported here used qualitative methods to elicit residents’ attitudes
towards tourism, as well as the factors which influenced those attitudes, in
the ethnic community of Ladakh. This study can contribute in understanding the
attitude of host community towards development of tourism in Ladakh and their
expectation from this growing industry. Further, the factors which are
significantly responsible for determining the attitude of host community
towards tourism in Ladakh are also revealed.
Settings:
Politically
Ladakh is a district of Jammu & Kashmir state of India. However, Ladakh
represents an entirely distinct culture and religion from what prevails in Kashmir.
Ladakh’s political relation with Jammu
& Kashmir begins to get bitter since 1950s and Ladakhi were beginning to
complain of unfair treatment from the Jammu & Kashmir government which,
they argued neglected them. From 1970s onwards this led to demand for Ladakh to
become a Union territory under direct rule from central government (Bray 2005:
7-8). Local political tension appears to be resolved with the creation of
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and in October 1993, the Indian government and the State
government agreed to grant Ladakh the status of Autonomous Hill Council.
In 1995 Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) was established in
Leh district. Kargil followed with its own Autonomous Hill Development Council
in 2003. Tourism promotion and development in Ladakh is a joint venture of Jammu
& Kashmir State Tourism Development Corporation (J&KSTDC) and LAHDC.
There are two tourist offices and a information centers in Leh. An annual
promotional event and a cultural festival Sindhu
Darshan is organized by state
government and LAHDC.
Resent past years witness the noticeable growth in
tourism in Ladakh and consequently tourism is becoming one of the major support
to local economy. Though the number of arrivals is not very huge but the rate
of growth is remarkable. In addition, there
is a visible change in the nature of tourist in the region. Ladakh which was
once dominated by the international tourists is now witnessing a huge flow of
domestic travelers. In year 2006, the total number of arrivals was 43821 out of
which 26114 were foreigners and 17707 were Indian. The number of domestic
arrivals was just doubled in the following year and reached 26168 in 2008 and
continued to increase rapidly in each following year.
|
Year
|
No. of
foreign tourist
|
No. of
domestic tourists
|
Total
|
|
2006
|
26114
|
17707
|
43821
|
|
2007
|
28178
|
26168
|
54346
|
|
2008
|
35311
|
39023
|
74334
|
|
2009
|
30570
|
48517
|
79087
|
|
2010
|
22115
|
55685
|
77800
|
Courtesy: Tourist Office, Leh, J&K
The
increasing number of visitors in this remote region caused several changes in
the socio-cultural and economic structure of the host community and
accordingly, it has influenced the attitude and perception of residents about
tourism and visitors.
Literature Review:
More
commonly, research into residents’ attitudes towards tourism has been used to
judge tourism’s appropriateness for a particular community. The intuitive understanding
is that positive attitudes are an indication that the social and cultural
obligations of tourism development are being met (Lepp 2007: 876). In this
regard, several variables have been used to explain residents’ attitudes
towards tourism including enjoyment of benefits, involvement with decision
making, stage of destination life cycle, tourist type, economic dependence on
tourism and the degree of cultural difference between residents and tourists
(Brohman, 1996; Brown, 1998; Drake, 1991; Horn & Simmons, 2002; Lawson,
Williams, Young, & Cossens, 1998; Simmons,1994; Timothy, 1999). Butler
(1980: 9-11) described tourism development as a series of stages through which
a destination evolves–exploration, involvement, development, consolidation and
stagnation. The attitude of residents also changes as the destination moves
from one stage to another. This is described by Doxey (1976: 26-27) who
proposed that residents’ attitudes are positive during the initial stages of
tourism development but become increasingly negative as a destination evolves
towards stagnation. In addition, Lepp (2007: 876) has further suggested that at
destinations with no prior knowledge of tourism, initial tourism development
will be met with suspicion, anxiety and fear. Horn and Simmons (2002: 133) found
a different fact to Doxey (1976). They argue that residents of destinations at
similar stages of tourism development can vary in their attitudes. Difference
in the relative economic importance of tourism at each destination can be
considered as one of the prime reason for that. Another significant factor
influencing the resident’s attitude is the type of tourist attracted to the
destination. Cohen (1984: 376-78) suggested that tourists could be classified by
the degree of novelty or comfort they seek. Remote and peripheral regions are
more likely to attract novelty seeking tourists and in common do not attract to
those tourists who need the comfort of familiar surroundings. Smith (1989:
12-14) suggests that residents’ attitudes towards tourism are influenced by the
tourists’ abilities to adapt to local standards. Novelty seeking tourists would
be expected to better adapt to local conditions than those tourists in need of
familiarity. Accordingly, novelty-seeking tourists would have less of an impact
on residents’ attitudes. Despite some tourist’s desire to adapt to local norms
and standards, the vast cultural differences between Western tourists and rural
people of the developing world often remain obvious. These differences can
influence residents’ attitudes towards tourism (Brunt & Courtney 1999: 493,
Lawson et al. 1998: 247). In rural areas, the excesses of tourism present quite
a contradiction to residents’ simple lifestyles. Smith and Krannich(1998:
800-01) developed a typology, categorizing host communities as either tourism
saturated, tourism realized or tourism hungry. They concluded to the opinion
that communities desirous of economic development had better attitudes towards
tourism than economically satisfied communities. Tourism hungry communities can
maintain positive attitudes despite negative impacts as long as economic benefits
are forthcoming. In general, economic benefits are an important influence on
residents’ attitudes towards tourism. Economic benefits, most notably revenue,
are what make tourism so attractive to developing nations (Brohman 1996: 48,
Brown 1998: 237). Several studies
confirmed that resident’s negative attitude towards tourism is often evolved by
perceiving the tourists as excessive consumers of sex, alcohol, food and
natural resources can be the source of negative attitudes (Aziz, 1995;
Gossling, 2002; Mansberger, 1995; McKercher, 1993; Sindiga, 1996; Teye, Sonmez,
& Sirakaya, 2002). Dogan (1989: 233-34) found residents protect themselves
from various impacts by adjusting to tourism in one of five ways: resistance, retreatism,
boundary maintenance, revitalization and adoption. He predicted residents’
adjustments will be homogenous in communities where tourism is in its initial stages
of development. However, as a destination matures, various adjustments might
emerge, some in conjunction with tourism and some in opposition. The success or
failure of adjustment strategies influences residents’ attitudes (Lepp 2007:
883-84). As the literature reviewed shows, a variety of factors can influence
residents’ attitudes towards tourism. Intuitively, positive attitudes among
residents are one indication that tourism development is appropriate for local
conditions. The purpose of this study was to identify and explain residents’
attitudes towards tourism in Ladakh, India. Although residents’ behavior was
not directly measured, regular and repeated observations of residents’ behavior
over the course of the study allow the researcher to hypothesize some
relationships. The following section describes the methods of the study.
Methodology:
The
primary sources of data for study were ‘‘active’’ interviews, informal
conversation, on-site observation and through questionnaires. Qualitative methods
were used for the purpose of better predictions of resident’s behavior. Active
interviewing is a qualitative method likened more to a conversation than an
interview. Active interviews empower the respondent to direct the conversation
within an area of interest specified by the researcher. This allows for the
injection of new and often unexpected ideas (Lepp 2007: 879). Indeed,
respondents freely injected thoughts and feelings throughout the interview
process. The particular focus of interview was placed on probing the attitudes of
resident’s towards tourism so each interview-included questions like ‘‘How do you
feel about tourism in Ladakh?’’ and, ‘‘does tourism brings positive changes in
the region?’’ Respondents were asked to express their opinion. Interviews were
tape recorded and transcribed while informal conversations and observations
were recorded daily in field notes. Questionnaire survey was conducted and it includes
both ‘closed’ and ‘open-ended’ questions.
Findings and Discussion:
The
overall result indicates optimistic attitude of host community towards tourism.
Out of 50 respondents 40 (80%) has expressed their positive and hopeful
attitude for growing tourism. 08 (15%) were either uncertain or indifferent
about the impact of tourism and merely 02 (5%) shown their resentment towards
growing tourism and associated problems. Residents who directly or indirectly
involved in tourism related business were happy with the growing number of
visitors. However the residents who were not involved in tourism were mostly
indifferent about tourism and very few of them had shown their concern about
the negative impacts of tourism. 92% respondents were agreed that tourism
increased the job opportunity and economic development in the region. However,
at the same they accepted that growing tourism is spoiling the natural
environment of the region too. But in spite of this fact they were willing to
promote tourism. One of the worth
mentioning finding is that residents were not holding equal attitude towards
domestic and international tourists. Residents were more critical about
domestic tourists. 80% respondents (mostly in tourism business) answered that
domestic tourist are not responsible in their behavior and most often damaging
the destination (by throwing garbage) increasing congestion, on the other hand
they appreciated the conduct of foreign visitors and their behavior with the
host community. There has been a general agreement that daily activities had
changed significantly with the arrival of tourists. Older residents were more
protective and sometimes indifferent, whereas younger generation expressed more
optimism towards tourism and related opportunities. They are also more likely
to think that host community has prime responsibility for managing tourism and integrating
it more closely with local economy. Almost all respondents welcomed tourist. In
general, negative attitudes were rarely expressed despite the researcher’s
probing.
Results
indicate a drastic change in residents’ attitude towards tourism since its
introduction in 1976. At that time, residents reacted to tourism with anxiety, suspicion
and fear. In fact, they look the outsiders as alien. The ethnic community of
Ladakh and their pristine and primitive settings were just showcase for the
tourist. Host population was neither aware of the tourism business nor involved
in any kind of tourism related activity. As described by Butler (1980: 9-11), initial tourism developments in
Ladakh were small scale and imbued with local flavor. This attracted tourists
in search of novelty who were more adaptable to local standards (Cohen 1984:
376-78). These tourists have less of an impact on residents than tourists with
a need for familiar Western amenities (Smith 1989: 12-13). Gradually, the host
population begin to involve in providing tourism related services on
small-scale and over the next decade tourism growth reached to higher level and it
was established as an industry with commercialization of tourism activities. Similarly
the participation and involvement of host population has also improved.
Residents slowly came to believe that tourism provides benefits in the form of
community development, income, improved agricultural markets, and a chance at
good fortune. There are a number of factors which are decisive in determining
the positive attitude of host community towards tourism in Ladakh. One of the
prime causes is the economic benefit. Several researchers found that in
general, economic benefits are an important influence on residents’ attitudes
towards tourism (Haralambopoulos & Pizam, 1994; King, Pizam, & Milman,
1992; Lindberg & Johnson, 1997).
In context of Ladakh, the means of
economy are very limited in this barren and mountainous terrain. In this remote
region agriculture (limited arable land) and animal husbandry are the major
occupation. Thus despite of noticing some negative impacts of tourism host
community of Ladakh exhibits willingness towards development of tourism. Further,
as Butler (1980: 9-11) suggested, the attitude of host community is associated
with the stage of tourism development and residents are mostly positive and
hopeful regarding tourism when the destination is on initial stages of
development. It has been very recent that tourism industry is established in
Ladakh and it is gradually growing and moving through the initial stages, with
the characteristics of minimal negative impacts, frequently benefiting to local
community, moderate tourist facilities, growth in the rate of tourist arrivals,
and growing economic opportunities, suggested by Butler (1980: 9-11). Therefore, community of Ladakh is
enthusiastic and thrilled by development of tourism in the region. They welcome
the strangers and there is mutual feeling of satisfaction. There are
opportunities for them and money flows in along with the tourist. This state is
similar to the level of euphoria as described by Doxey (1976: 27) regarding the
attitude of host community. In addition, the remote society of Ladakh is
characterized by low literacy rate, social awareness and information technology
and hence the host community is not able to analyze critically about the long
term negative consequences of unplanned/ uncontrolled tourism.
Their
belief that tourism provides economic benefits and social elevation is resulted
in widespread positive attitudes of residents about tourism.
Conclusion:
The
attitude of host community towards tourism is a significant aspect and hence a
vital area of research and investigation. Host community is an integrated part
of overall tourist attraction of any destination and their behavior and
attitude is a key determinant of the level of tourist satisfaction. The
attitude of residents towards tourism varies from one destination to another,
caused by several influential factors and prone to change over a period of
time. This research was conducted to gain a better understanding of the
perception and attitude of host community of Ladakh and provide useful
information and suggestions which can be incorporated in further development
and planning of tourism in Ladakh.
When
applied to attitudes, It is crucial to understand the perception and following
expectations of the residents from tourism development and residents seek what
they estimate as equal benefits in return for what they themselves offer (such
as resources for appropriate development projects, as well as collaboration,
hospitality, and toleration of the possible drawbacks the industry might
involve. In its application, the theory has been used to examine diversity in
level of development and the local population’s dependence on tourism,
As
the attitude of residents of Ladakh demonstrates, local benefits can secure
tourism’s acceptance but it is for a short-term. For the purpose of sustaining
positive attitudes towards tourism into the future, the ability of host community
to expand upon tourism related benefits should be encouraged. Encouragement of
local participation and involvement in tourism business and decision-making
process can work as a key to retain local support for tourism and make it more
sustainable.
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